Subway in Paris

The subway in Paris is one of the best in the world. It is easy to use, has a lot of stations with fourteen lines which are spread all over Paris in all possible directions. So you can reach every corner of Paris in no time.

Appearance

All metro stations have stairs going down and usually a sign that says “Metro” or “Metropolitan” above the entrance as well as the maps near the entrance above ground from which you can find your location and the route you need to take.

RER stations

You shouldn’t confuse a Metro station with an RER (regional) station. These are two different sets of trains. The RER stations runs not only through Paris but also for a long distances such as airport or Disneyland Paris, and has a limited stops within the city. RER entrances look like metro stations but say RER above them and indicate the line (A, B, C). While metro lines are numbered (1 through 14), RER lines are designated by a letter of the alphabet (A through E).

Where to buy a ticket?Subway in Paris

You can buy tickets in a booth with a person or in the automated ticket machines. The machines display instructions in multiple languages.

There are turnstiles you should pass before entering a subway. Place your ticket in the slot in the front of the turnstile machine. Before you go through the turnstile, retrieve your ticket. You may be stopped by an inspector at some point during the journey and you will need to show this ticket. Once you leave the metro, you no longer need it.

Finding a direction

The metro doesn’t travel east or west. Nor does it travel uptown or downtown. To determine which direction you want to go, you need to know the end terminus of the line on which you are traveling.

Once you’ve found your direction, you should follow the corresponding signs down to the appropriate platforms. Some platforms have signs that show you how long until the next train arrive and the one afterwards.

The doors

It is worth to be noted that the doors in subway in France do not open automatically at each stop so you should open it by yourself. Some doors have a latch you must undo while others have a button to press. Once you do that, the doors slide open. They do, however, close automatically.